Knots, Line, and so on

[ColdWaterFshr]

Fly-fishing snob here.  Fluoro I always use a uni-knot, but I rarely fish anything heavier than 1x.  Mostly 3, 4, 5.

Terminal tackle, back casting 12-14 pound Maxima mono, and mostly use improved clinch knot.  It hasn't failed me yet.  Its not a good knot for fluoro though, or anything lighter than 4 lb, which I would rarely use, even for spinning rod.

 

[Mitch f]

 

[Dutch]

I use the Pitzen knot for all lines and all baits.  It is easy, quick (normally 12-15 seconds), strong and I can tie it while wearing gloves.  I tie it like that vid but I don’t double the line.  I’ve never seen the need for double.  I do 5 wraps.

https://www.netknots.com/fishing_knots/pitzen-knot

[snagged in outlet 3]

8 hours ago, Mitch f said:

 

That looks like a shark knot.  

[snagged in outlet 3]

9 hours ago, nomolites said:

I never have breaks at the knot with the palomar.  Use a loop knot for topwater or suspending jerks.

Mike

I use a loop on Ned’s.  

[tjm]

1 hour ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

That looks like a shark knot.  

"Shark"  might be a internet name for an old knot that already has several names. Until you posted that name here I'd never heard of a "shark knot" and knots have been a minor hobby of mine since ~1960.

Because any knot weakens the line, the failure should always be at the knot unless the line is abraded. In a fly leader with several  join knots and a terminal knot,  the fail is normally at the terminal knot because the steel is harder than the line and slick enough to allow some degree of slippage. Wear and stress of line caused by minute slippage between knot and hook eye suggests that retying after every fish could save lures.

There are no fail proof knots, under enough strain all knots will fail even if tied in wire rope. The Pitzen/16-20/Eugene is a good knot though, and using heavier terminal line/tippet will help reduce knot failures.

A slightly different knot and many say better than Pitzen is the San Diego Jam Knothttps://www.netknots.com/fishing_knots/san-diego-jam-knot

The "forever  in the water" and "never degrade" characteristics of fluorocarbon balanced ageist negligible, if any gain, over nylon  keep me from using it. The knot failure rate  in fluoro is to me cause for hope, if enough people lose enough lures, maybe they stop polluting the universe with it.  Use of fluoro is among other things is why I said in another thread that sport anglers are never conservationists. Even nylon can stay in the water up to a few hundred years, but fluoro  is intact for several thousand years. But until it's banned carry on using it if you can.

[snagged in outlet 3]

1 hour ago, tjm said:

"Shark"  might be a internet name for an old knot that already has several names. Until you posted that name here I'd never heard of a "shark knot" and knots have been a minor hobby of mine since ~1960.

Because any knot weakens the line, the failure should always be at the knot unless the line is abraded. In a fly leader with several  join knots and a terminal knot,  the fail is normally at the terminal knot because the steel is harder than the line and slick enough to allow some degree of slippage. Wear and stress of line caused by minute slippage between knot and hook eye suggests that retying after every fish could save lures.

There are no fail proof knots, under enough strain all knots will fail even if tied in wire rope. The Pitzen/16-20/Eugene is a good knot though, and using heavier terminal line/tippet will help reduce knot failures.

A slightly different knot and many say better than Pitzen is the San Diego Jam Knothttps://www.netknots.com/fishing_knots/san-diego-jam-knot

The "forever  in the water" and "never degrade" characteristics of fluorocarbon balanced ageist negligible, if any gain, over nylon  keep me from using it. The knot failure rate  in fluoro is to me cause for hope, if enough people lose enough lures, maybe they stop polluting the universe with it.  Use of fluoro is among other things is why I said in another thread that sport anglers are never conservationists. Even nylon can stay in the water up to a few hundred years, but fluoro  is intact for several thousand years. But until it's banned carry on using it if you can.

SD jam knot is a pitzen.   Here’s the shark knot.  Some comments called it a double clinch knot.  
 

 

[dpitt]

You can test if line has deteriorated by throwing an overhand knot in it an pulling on ends,  if it is bad it will break with little pressure.

[tjm]

1 hour ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

SD jam knot is a pitzen.

Nope. In the SDJam knot the tag runs through the bottom loop, in the Eugene/Pitzen it does not.

[Mitch f]

1 hour ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

SD jam knot is a pitzen.   Here’s the shark knot.  Some comments called it a double clinch knot.  
 

 

Looks very close to the double pitzen, but not the same